(Consumer forum) Cheque dishonoured Two bank managers directed to pay ₹20,000
The commission has ordered the managers of State Bank of India (SBI) to fulfill payment to Romesh Kumar, the owner of private firm M/S Auto Lines, within 30 days of receiving the order
The district consumer disputes redressal commission has directed two branch managers of a government bank to pay ₹20,000 as compensation to an 84-year-old owner of a private firm for subjecting him to mental harassment after his cheque was dishonoured.
The commission has ordered the managers of State Bank of India (SBI) to fulfill payment to Romesh Kumar, the owner of private firm M/S Auto Lines, within 30 days of receiving the order.
Kumar had filed a complaint against the managers of SBI’s Dubri Road and Fountain Chowk branches alleging that the bank had dishonoured his cheque of ₹42,081 on August 23, 2021, by claiming insufficient balance, despite his account having adequate funds of ₹4.28 lakh in his account. Additionally, the bank had deducted ₹590 as a cheque bounce charge from his account.
Kumar had brought this matter to the attention of the bank officials through two letters sent on August 28, 2021 and September 4, 2021. However, no resolution was provided and he sent a legal notice to the bank officials. The bank refunded the deducted amount of ₹590 to Kumar on September 30 prior to receiving the legal notice.
The commission, presided over by president Sanjeev Batra along with members Monika Bhagat and Jaswinder Singh, declared the decision in favour of the complainant, highlighting that the bank’s inaction had not only caused mental agony and harassment to Kumar but had also damaged the reputation and goodwill of his firm within the business community and the public at large.
The bank officials told the commission that the cheque was bounced due to some technical issue in the system inadvertently. The bank had refunded ₹590 to Kumar on September 30.